How Often Should I Change My Refrigerator Water Filter?

If your refrigerator water filter has been used for a long time and you haven’t replaced it, chances are its insides are clogged with gunk. A less effective water filter will also result in more impurities entering your refrigerator ice maker. The final outcome of not regularly changing your refrigerator water filter is your water and ice tastes less-than-satisfactory.

What’s in your unfiltered or less-effectively filtered water?

You can buy a selection of easy-to-use water home test kits to check what’s in your unfiltered or less-effectively filtered water. You will be surprised to find out there is an excessive amount of bacteria, chlorine, lead, other chemicals or an imbalance of pH.

How do you know it’s time to change your refrigerator water filter?

If you don’t have a test kit, you will still be able to notice when it’s time to change your refrigerator water filter by:

Decreased flow: There will be no water or slow running water coming from the dispenser. The ice maker may have stopped making ice cubes, or decided to make one single dirty cube instead.

An unpleasant taste or odor: The most effective way to determine if your refrigerator water filter is shot, is to simply explore your sense of smell and palate for an unpleasant odor or an icky taste. When first installed, chlorine odor and taste will likely all but disappear. However, a few months later, as your filter ages, contaminants that used to be filtered out will multiply; when it comes to a point that you start to notice – whether that’s three months, six months – or even nine months – it’s time for the replacement.
Status indicator light: Many refrigerators with a filter have a “replace filter indicator” light for the water filter cartridge on the dispenser. This is a timed function rather than a sensor that determines the filter’s capacity. It can give you a helpful idea of when it is time to replace your filter.

It is recommended by most experts and refrigerator manufacturers that you change your refrigerator’s water filter at least every six months.

Usually, a quality refrigerator water filter can process from 240 to 500 gallon water. However, without a device that measures exactly how much water is moving through your refrigerator water filter, it’s hard to confirm when it reaches its maximum capacity. So, six months is an average but can vary widely based on factors such as usage and flow rate expectancy. Let’s assume normal usage and say that going on a 6-month schedule is a safe bet that you won’t be buying a new filter too early and wasting money. And not too late that you aren’t benefiting from its filtration capabilities. If you’re uncertain how long it’s been since you’ve replaced your refrigerator’s water filter, refer to some indicators that it needs to be replaced in the above mentioned.

In most cases, changing your refrigerator water filter is fairly simple.  

Many manufacturers have taken steps to ensure that their filters are easy to access and replace. Some need to be twisted a quarter turn and pulled out, while others have a large button next to the filter that you simply push, and the filter pops out.
Though, each manufacturer’s refrigerator water filtration system is a bit different. If you have bought filters from Clatterans, follow the directions that come with the package for removal and replacement or consult with our customer service team info@clatterans.com.

Cost

Replacement refrigerator water filters range in cost, but at Clatterans, to change your filter twice a year would only cost about $36. The most bought, Whirlpool Filter 1 and Filter 3, only cost $54.99 for a 3-pack. Click to buy.

By using two water filters per year, a refrigerator can filter about 3,000 bottles of water. According to such data, this can save you over $600 a year versus purchasing bottled water, and it’s beneficial for the environment to spare landfills from all of the discarded plastic bottles.